Meadowlark Ski Resort Owner: Antelope Butte Will Hurt Business

The owner of the lodge at the Meadowlark Ski Resort is afraid plans to reopen the nearby Antelope Butte ski area as a non-profit could kill his business.

Wayne Jones doesn't think there's enough business to support two ski areas in the Bighorn Mountains. He told Wyoming Public Radio that it will be hard for Meadowlark to compete with a subsidized ski area that can sell tickets more cheaply and afford to lose money.

Antelope Butte has been closed since 2004 but a foundation has raised more than $150,000 to reopen it as a non-profit. It's also hoping to get state grant money.

Emerson Scott, who used to run Antelope Butte, disagrees with Jones. Scott says Meadowlark and Antelope Butte had their best years when both were open.